In modern telecommunications systems, network-based voicemail systems provide subscribers the ability to receive and review saved voice messages left by calling parties when the subscriber's telephone is busy or is unanswered. In a typical telecommunications system network-based voicemail system, the voicemail system is operated remotely from the subscriber's telephone and is a part of the overall telecommunications network in which the subscriber's telephone operates. If the subscriber's telephone is busy, unanswered, switched to an “off” position, or has a loss of power, the voicemail system still may receive messages directed to the subscriber's directory number so long as the voicemail system in the overall telecommunications network is operating properly. Accordingly, the subscriber is unable to exercise local control over whether the subscriber receives voicemail messages from calling parties.
Often, a subscriber would prefer that no voicemail messages are left for the subscriber during a certain period of time. For example, the subscriber may be ill, or the subscriber may be on vacation, and the subscriber would rather not receive voicemail messages during that period. If the subscriber is on vacation for several days, the calling parties leaving messages for the subscriber may believe that leaving the messages will precipitate some definite response or action from the subscriber simply by leaving the messages for the subscriber. If the subscriber does not check her messages during the period of her vacation, she may miss an important deadline for action, and the calling party who left the message for the subscriber may be disappointed or adversely affected in some manner. Accordingly, there is a need for a method and system for allowing a voicemail subscriber to selectively deactivate her voicemail system so that the voicemail system will not accept voicemail messages from an incoming calling party directed to the subscriber.
In a typical voicemail system, once a voicemail message has been left for the subscriber, some audible or visual indication of the voicemail message is presented to the subscriber. That is, a flashing light, or audible tone is presented to the subscriber to alert the subscriber of a waiting voicemail message. Once the subscriber listens to her voicemail messages, the audible or visual message indicator is typically discontinued. If the subscriber inadvertently listens to a message directed to the subscriber's associate, roommate, or other person authorized to receive voicemail messages over the subscriber's voicemail system, the person to whom the voicemail message was actually directed will not receive the audible or visual indication that the voicemail message is waiting. Consequently, the person to whom the voicemail message was directed may not know to check for messages. Similarly, often a subscriber to voicemail services uses her voicemail system as a place for saving a reminder message, or the subscriber may simply wish to keep a message stored in her voicemail system for later review. If the audible or visual indication of a waiting voicemail message is no longer presented for a voicemail message reviewed by the subscriber, the subscriber may not remember to recheck the messages to review the saved information. Accordingly, there is a need for a method and system for designating a reviewed voicemail message as “unheard” so that the audible or visual indication of the waiting voicemail message is reactivated to alert the subscriber of the presence of the voicemail message. It is with respect to these and other considerations that the present invention has been made.